Ultima Weapon
by Tonia Barone
Summary: Ever wonder how the Ultima Weapon sword came to be? Or how it went from being Atma Weapon to Ultima Weapon? How about it's role in the battles against evil over the millennia? Here is the story of the Ultima Weapon through the FF series. Revised post.
1. Atma's Chosen Hand

                Hi. Been ages, I know, but life happens. I finally got back into this series, though, and besides revising this part, have completed the second chapter and am working on the third. I've beaten FF4 by now and I have come to the conclusion that there wasn't an Atma equivalent in that game. Need to replay FF5 to check that one but otherwise…*shrugs* 

                I _will_ be doing one for FFX, though. Just as soon as I actually manage to _get_ the damn thing. That chocobo mini-game is hell, let me tell ya. Anyway. So here's the revised chap 1. No beta but hopefully I've read over this thoroughly enough that it doesn't need one. Again, I ask that you forgive any OOCness as I'm not too good at writing canon Cs.

                Again, here's a key for various thingies in here.

                "Spoken word"

                {Mind-speak}

                ~Thoughts~

                _Emphasis_

                Spells and special moves

                * * * Scene/time change

                ~*~*~*~ POV change

                Now that _that's_ done with…enjoy!

                                                                                ~*~*~*~*~*~

                In the beginning, there were three goddesses: Goddess, Doom and Poltergeist. Together, They shaped the world we now know today. They created the earth, the plants, and the animals. They created the Espers--though they would be known by many other names. Summons, Guardian Forces, and Eidolons, just to name a few--and They created Doomgaze, Phunbaba and the Eight Dragons.

                This is all common knowledge. What _isn't_ common knowledge is that there was a god who watched over these Three. His name was Atma, though people would know Him better later on by Ultima Weapon. 

                Atma was the one responsible for the creation of the Weapons Emerald, Ruby, Diamond and Sapphire, which He charged with the protection of the Planet. He is the one who gifted Hyne, His beloved daughter, with the essence that a chosen few would later call Sorceress' Magic. He also created Omega Weapon, a parody of His True form.

                He guided souls to what would later become known as the Lifestream to then be reborn elsewhere on the Planet. In later years, He would create the Iifa Tree to take over this daunting task. It was He who split the planet and it was His idea to separate a small part of Himself and the Goddesses to form the Crystals that would aid in protecting the planet.

                Now that took a bit of work, since those down on the Planet seemed dead set on either destroying them or hording them away for their own personal gain. Luckily, the Heroes would arrive and set things right.

                And speaking of the Heroes...

                In addition to the Weapons, and Doomgaze, and Phunbaba and the Eight Dragons, Atma and the Goddesses also created a group of mortal souls, about a dozen or so in number, to act as protectors of the Planet. This group of mortals would appear every couple of generations, in a time when the Balance of the Planet was out of alignment and the forces of Evil become abundant once more.

                They never knew their special destiny until the time had come for them to gather and Battle the Evil. Some of the Heroes knew each other before the Battle while others were those they had just met not a day before. All of them, though, would feel a connection with each other--a kinship--when there shouldn't have been one.

                It was the goddesses' idea to give each Hero a specialized weapon. And so for each imaginable profession, a weapon was created. The most notable of them being Excalibur, a Knight's sword; the Masamune, for the Samurai; Save the Queen, a weapon that has morphed over the years from a sword to a whip then back again for the rare woman warrior; Ragnarok, another powerful Knight's sword; and the Tiger Fangs, a formidable clawed glove.

                It is from this idea that the Heroes should each have a specific weapon that Atma gained the notion to make His own blade, Atma's Weapon, or simply Atma Weapon, as it would later be known, available for the Leader to use.

                And so it was that Atma descended to the Planet to test the sixth set of Heroes to be born there, in order to see if they were indeed worthy of His blade...

                                                                                *              *              *              

                "Edgar, duck!"

                Edgar cursed under his breath as he dodged under a swipe that would have taken his head if he hadn't been for his brother's warning. He spared his twin a grateful nod before returning his attentions to the battle that he and his friends were involved in.

                He, Sabin, Terra and Shadow had found this massive beast blocking the path to where Kefka and Emperor Gestahl were with the Statues. They'd found themselves forced to fight it when it wouldn't let them pass, much to their frustration.

                The beast in question looked to be kin to the behemoths he had read about in his history books. It was at least half the size of Setzer's prized airship, the Blackjack, and a sickly blue-gray in color. The beast, which had called itself Atma Weapon, was breathing an eerie blue fire and he could feel the hairs on his arms stand on end from the sheer power the beast was exuding.

                "FLOAT!"

                Suddenly, Edgar found himself hovering several feet above the ground, thanks to Terra's thoughtful spell casting. He should have thought of it sooner, really. Atma had been casting nothing but Flares and Quakes up to that point, after all. Now if only they could find a way to keep him from casting Flare...

                "FIRE DANCE!" With this call, Sabin let loose his ki in a dizzying array of 'fire shadows', which pummeled Atma from all sides before dissipating.

                                                                                ~*~*~*~

                Atma grunted from the force of the Blitz then retaliated with yet another Flare. He had to admit, this generation of Heroes were good. From what He could see, they worked well with each other. Even the dark one--who was a loner by nature--adjusted his moves to flow with that of the others. He hated to admit it, but there was no doubt in His mind that they would defeat Him, thus earning the right to wield His blade, whether they knew it or not. 

                He sensed it already in their possession and had even sensed the halfling trying to wield it once or twice when it was evident that her companions--the blonde king, the thief and the ex-General--could not handle the repressed power within it. {You have produced a strong daughter, Maduin.} He thought at the essence of the Esper He felt with the halfling.

                Despite that the Esper in question had already passed on and became magicite, it still heard and responded. {I thank you, Lord Atma. Despite the trials the Goddesses had laid out before her, my Terra has come through them stronger and I would have it no other way.} There was a pause, as if Maduin was thinking on whether or not to ask his next question. {Is she to be the one to wield Your blade, M'Lord?}

                Atma hissed in actual pain as the Bolt Edge the dark one had thrown at Him sank into His right forearm. {That she is, Maduin. She is more than worthy of wielding my blade. But she has many trials ahead of her, as do all of the Heroes.}

                {And they will be made even stronger because of them, M'Lord.}

                Atma gave a half-hearted swipe at the young king when he came in close with his chainsaw. He figured another hit or two and He would let the Heroes believe they had defeated Him. They were starting to wear out and if they were to survive what was to come shortly after this battle, He would have to end it soon.

                                                                                ~*~*~*~

                Terra frowned in concentration. She was getting ready to summon her father, the Esper Maduin, to hopefully finish the battle. She hated fighting and for some reason a part of her especially hated fighting this creature, the one who called himself Atma Weapon. It was almost as if there was some part of her deep inside that knew, just _knew_ that this Atma Weapon was someone of great importance.

                ~But that's silly. He's just a monster like everything else on this Floating Island.~ Dodging to the side to avoid one of Atma's massive claws, she finally established the connection with her father needed to summon him.

                {Maduin, Father, please help us. Help me.} It was the same small prayer that Terra said each time she summoned her father but this time something was different. This time she got a response.

                {My darling Terra, I will always come to your aid. Mine shall be the finishing blow of this battle and afterwards, you'll be able to wield the mighty Atma Weapon.}

                Terra almost blinked in surprise; only the fact that it would have broken her concentration stopped her. {F-Father?}

                {Greetings, Terra.}

                {But...but I don't understand. You're dead. How is it that you're talking to me?}

                In her mind, Maduin gave a short laugh. {My body might have perished, dear Terra, but my essence, my _soul_, is still here. Now, we will have enough time to chit chat later. You have a battle to finish, I believe. Say the Words, Terra. Say them and set me free.}

                Terra nodded, just the barest movement of her head, in acknowledgement of her father's command/request. "CHAOS WING!" 

                Normally, when summoning an Esper, there was a brief moment when you became one with it. It was necessary in order to make sure the Esper didn't attack/defend the wrong parties. This time, however, she became more than one with her father, as she said the Words. 

                She suddenly knew, _knew_, without a shadow of a doubt that this creature they'd been fighting was a supreme being far more powerful than the Goddesses they were fighting so hard to protect and save. She also knew that this was just a test, a test they would pass and then she would inherit her birthright, the Atma Weapon sword.

                Not a nanosecond after she had spoken the Words, she felt herself and her friends fade from this realm and her father take their place. She watched through his eyes as he let loose his awesome power on Atma Weapon.

                                                                                ~*~*~*~

                Atma smiled in greeting to Maduin as the other appeared. {Do what you must, Maduin. The Goddesses have foreseen it. Your daughter is to wield my blade and she can only do that once I am gone from this realm.}

                Maduin bowed his head ever so slightly in deference to his liege. {As you wish, M'Lord. Give the Goddesses my thanks for reuniting Terra and I.}

                {It is done.}

                And with that, Maduin unleashed his power on his Lord. It was over before Atma's brain could even process the pain the unleashing wrought on the mortal shell He had taken during this Trial. 

                With the shell's demise, however, He transferred a small portion of His power to the sword in Terra's possession. As Maduin fled back to his realm and Terra and her friends returned to this one, Terra could feel the sudden vibration of the sword at her side. It was as if what it had shown before had been but a small drop in a massive ocean of power.

                She couldn't be certain about her friends, but _she_ had seen and heard all that had transpired between her father and his god. ~So that's why the Atma Weapon wasn't that powerful. Atma had yet to gift it with His power.~

                {Yes, you are correct.}

                Terra jumped at the sudden voice of Atma in her head, earning her a concerned look from Edgar.

                "Are you all right, Terra," asked the young king as he made his way over to her. She'd been looking spacey ever since the end of the battle and he was starting to worry.

                Terra blinked and lightly shook her head to clear it before turning her attention to Edgar. "Yes, Edgar, I'm fine." She lightly rubbed her head then smiled as she looked up at him. "Really. Just exhausted is all."

                "Then we better rest. I think all of us are tired and I got a feeling that it'll only get worse from here on out," Sabin said as he took out an Elixir and passed it to Terra. "Here, drink this."

                Terra gratefully took the energy replenishing concoction and bit back a grimace as she drank the entire thing. ~Never will I grow used to the horrible taste this stuff has.~

                {All things that are good for you taste bad, Terra.}

                This time Terra didn't jump. Instead, she allowed the hand not holding the empty Elixir bottle to stray down to where the Atma Weapon was strapped to her hip. Her hand tingled a bit where it touched the hilt of the blade. ~Atma?~

                {Yes?}

                Terra stood to the side as she watched Edgar and Sabin try and reason with Shadow, who was leaving. Her grip on the hilt of the blade tightened ever so slightly. ~Will we win?~

                {You now carry the physical representation of my total power. Short of actually being there and doing the fighting for you, there is little more that can be done to give you a better advantage.} He paused for a moment before continuing. {Yes, Terra, you will win. But it will be quite some time before that day arrives and when it does, you will have a choice to make.}

                As she pondered this tidbit of information, Atma briefly checked in on the ex-General, Celes Chere, to find her crouched around the corner from where the small group of Heroes had come from. ~Good, everything is as I have foreseen.~

                And it was with that thought that Atma 'settled back' so to speak for the upcoming show, which would decide the fate of the mortals for generations to come.

                                                                                *              *              *

                One year later...

                Terra stood, with her hair unbound for once, on the deck of the Falcon. They had just defeated Kefka and had barely managed to escape from his accursed Tower in one piece. Well, relatively one piece; it would seem that they had lost Shadow along the way. Even now, Relm was locked in her room crying her eyes out for the father she barely knew.

                While normally Terra would have been the first to go and comfort the young girl, now she had too much on her mind. When they had destroyed Kefka, all traces of magic had disappeared from the Planet. This included Espers.

                Her father--and Atma, so long ago--had said she would have a choice. He, her father that is, said that if she loved something strong enough here, then she wouldn't die when her Esper half was taken from her. Well, she did love something strong enough. She loved her children in Mobliz and she at least had a strong affection for Edgar, not to mention her feelings for her friends.

                {Terra, it's time.}

                The voice in her head no longer startled her; she'd grown used to it in the last year. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept her going. She very much doubted that her friends would understand her reasons for holding onto the Atma Weapon sword all this time. No one but her could wield it's full potential, despite Edgar, Celes and even Locke's best efforts.

                No. This sword, this Atma Weapon, was for her and her alone. Even though it's very power was magical in nature, she felt no diminishing of power from the mighty blade. If anything, the power actually _increased_. When she had asked about it, the only thing Atma would say was that it was the way of things.

                So here she stood, on the deck of the Falcon, thinking about how her life had changed since she had met Locke in that cave a little over a year ago. Though she didn't answer Atma directly, she did place a hand on the hilt, as she had done so many times before. 

                She knew what He spoke of. It was time to lay the Atma Weapon to rest so that the next set of Heroes may have access to its power. Oh yes, she was quite aware of the Weapon's place in history and had been for quite some time. During the last year, Atma had been kind enough to answer any and all questions that she had concerning the blade and it's original master.

                All she needed to do was get Edgar to let her use his castle to let her down into the Ancient Castle that lay beneath the ocean between East Figaro and West Figaro. Even though the blade itself had been found in the cave just before the Sealed Gate, Atma had told her that it's home had originally been the Ancient Castle. He'd had to move it both to ensure that she'd find it and to keep it safe from getting damaged by the decay of the Castle.

                Terra turned around to see who was still on deck. ~Well, what a coincidence. I'm surprised that Setzer would let him pilot again after the last time he'd been at the helm.~ Terra smiled faintly as she remembered the time, a little before they went to the Island, that Edgar had crashed the Blackjack. It'd been right after the Espers had been freed from their own realm and had gone to wreck havoc on Vector.

                Edgar, sensing her scrutiny, looked over at her. Smiling, he waved her over. "Hello, Terra. Why such the long face? It doesn't suit one such as yourself."

                Terra shrugged as she walked over to stand by Edgar. "I was just thinking." She stood on her tiptoes to see over the railing of the ship--which was several feet way--to see where they were heading. It seemed they were heading for Figaro Castle. ~Good.~

                Turning back to Edgar, Terra smiled teasingly. "So Setzer actually let you back behind the controls? I'm surprised, considering how you handled them last time."

                Edgar placed a hand over his heart and gave Terra a hurt look. "My Lady wounds me to the quick! Oh, woe is me for I have lost her favor! Oh, the tragedy! Oh, the humanity! How shall I _ever_ continue with my now empty existence?"

                Terra laughed and smiled at the young king. "I'm sure you'll manage. You managed to survive a year without me, after all."

                "Ah, but it was a very depressing and dark year indeed." Edgar nodded solemnly as he said this then gave Terra his most charming smile. "So, where to M'Lady?"

                Barely managing to suppress a sigh, Terra's hand once again strayed to the hilt of the Atma Weapon. "There's something I need to take care of so I'll be going with you and the others to Figaro." She hesitated, taking the moment to look down at the Atma Weapon sadly. "I hate to ask this but would it be possible for us to go to the Ancient Castle?" She looked up at Edgar to find him watching her. She blushed under the scrutiny and lightly patted the hilt. "I need to return Atma to His resting place."

                Edgar studied her for a moment longer before nodding. "Of course." He smiled then reached for her hand to kiss it. Bowed over her hand, his smile turned to a grin. "And perhaps I could convince you to extend your stay at my castle? I would very much enjoy your company, fair maiden."

                Terra blushed clear to the roots of her green-blonde hair, both at the kiss on her hand and his words. "I..." She trailed off as her mind was suddenly filled with images. Images of her and Edgar and...their children?! Her friends were also there and it looked like Celes was pregnant. Locke wasn't too far away with a blond boy set on his shoulders. An older Relm and Gau also looked to be close. Instantly, she knew. She _knew_, without a shadow of a doubt, that this to be her future, if only she were to say yes. 

                Another set of images came to her then, only in these she was alone. Not even her children, or rather the orphans from Mobliz, were anywhere to be found. She got the impression from the size of the cottage and the sparseness of it that she lived alone and rarely, if ever, received visitors, which surprised her. This, too, she knew to be her future; her future if she were to say no.

                {Again, Terra, a choice is presented to you. Will you give love and Edgar a chance or will you shy away? I offer you this for taking my blade and wielding it justly.}

                "Terra?" Edgar watched the play of emotions in Terra's eyes and reached out to her worriedly.

                Terra shook her head, but whether it was to clear it or to dispel Edgar's worry was unclear. She offered the king a small smile as she took his hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm fine, Edgar, and I would be delighted to join you in Figaro."

                                                                                *              *              *

                Terra stepped back from the statue and wiped her eyes. She was alone in the basement of the Ancient Castle and had just laid the Atma Weapon in the arms of the Weeping Queen. She spared a glance at the stairs near the back of the room and smiled. 

                Edgar had flat out refused to let her come down here alone so he had accompanied her as far as the throne room. There, she put her foot down and insisted that she do this last part alone. Seeing that this was something she needed to do alone, he had relented, albeit reluctantly.

                She returned her attention to the Queen and the sword she now held. After a moment of silence, she spoke. Though it was so softly that if anyone had been down there, they would have been hard pressed to hear her. "Thank you."

                The blade pulsated as Atma spoke. {No, I thank you, Terra. As you know, you are not the first to wield my blade and undoubtedly you will not be the last. But in your actions with my blade, you have ensured that future generations will have a chance to wield it.}

                "I did only what was asked of me, M'Lord." Again, spoken in that almost-not-heard soft tone.

                {But I never asked.} He was silent for a long moment then said in an amused tone, {I believe that your suitor is becoming impatient. Perhaps you had better go back to him before he wears a trench in the floor of my castle.}

                Terra blinked in surprise at the amused tone. Never had she heard such a tone from Him before and it took her a moment to actually place what it was. When she did, she blushed faintly and smiled. "He knows I can take care of myself; why does he worry so much?"

                {Such is the nature of love, Terra; it has never been known to be a logical emotion.}

                "Terra? Are you all right down here?" Edgar's voice was thick with worry, as if he thought Kefka had come back from the grave and lay waiting down there for just the right moment to attack Terra.

                Terra rolled her eyes and sighed before calling back, "Yes, Edgar. I'll be right up." She turned back to the sword and bowed deeply. "Goodbye, Lord Atma."

                She was surprised to find that she could almost _hear_ the smile in His voice when it replied. {Farewell, Terra.}

                Terra smiled then turned and walked back to where her destiny awaited her impatiently halfway down the stairs.

TBC

Hope you enjoyed that. Following the FF theme, next up is FF7 with Cloud and co. Ta.


	2. A SOLDIER's Sword

                Hey. I forgot it in the previous part but here it is: I don't own the FF series. Never have and thank god I never will. I'd probably screw it up and then I'd have thousands of irate fans after my ass. I do, however, own the story. I won't say plot because knowing my luck there's something similar already out there. *shrugs* My little world I've created within the FF realm is a little...weird. You see more and more of it as the series goes. Try not to get confused.

                Anyway. Hope you enjoy this. Got anything to say, you know the deal. Review or write. e-mail's on th' profile page. *shrugs* I'm paranoid. Anyway. Hope you enjoy this.

                "Spoken word"

                {Mind-speak}

                ~Thoughts~

                _Emphasis_

Spells and special moves

                * * * Scene/time change

                ~*~*~*~ POV change

                There's the key for the thingies, 'kay? *S* Then see ya at th' bottom!

                                                                ~*~*~*~*~*~

                2000 years later

                Cloud was _not_ having a good day. Or week or month or year, for that matter. He'd only just come out of the coma when Cid said there was this 'big-ass Weapon' he had to settle a score with. Said the thing, which had attacked Mideel while he was still in a coma, had nearly destroyed the Highwind while it ran away after the fight.

                So he had relented and allowed Cid to search for the massive beast to avenge his precious airship. They found the creature hovering above the new lake that had formed east of Junon a few hours later. Seeing no other way around it, they had flown the Highwind up to the creature and thus the battle was joined.

                Unfortunately for them, however, they soon found themselves hard pressed to hold off its attacks. And while he absolutely _loved_ that sword, it was a pain. Literally. Even though Cid had immediately cast Wall on everyone, he could still feel the sharp bite of that beautiful sword with every swipe the beast took.

                Fed up, he cast Comet to distract the beast then leaped back to where Vincent stood, taking shots at the beast when he could. Cid, seeing Cloud jump back, followed suit after taking a swipe at the beast.

                "So, what's the plan, O Fearless Leader?"

                Cloud glared at Cid but also made sure to keep one eye on the beast at all times. "Look, this isn't working. Didn't you guys find any better materia or get better weapons while I was out?"

                Cid opened his mouth to answer but instead cursed instead when the beast took a swipe at all three of them with the sword. They barely managed to get out of the way in time. "Dammit, no we didn't find any better materia or get better weapons while you were out."

                Cloud raised his sword, Heaven's Cloud, to block the beast's sword from taking his head. "Well, what materia do you guys have?"

                They both took quick stock of the materia they had equipped. The results, while promising, weren't all _that_ reassuring. Not as much as they'd hoped, anyway.

                "Well," Cid said as he took a long pull from his ever-present cigarette, "hope you guys have made your peace." This, of course, did nothing to instill confidence in his companions.

                                                                ~*~*~*~

                On the other side of the proverbial playing field, Atma--or Ultima as these Heroes would know Him as--watched the three discuss their attack strategy. He figured He'd let them score another hit or so before moving on. He'd arrived rather late in the game, which meant that the Heroes were far more powerful than their predecessors had been. Because of this, He had no plans on making this skirmish easy for them. Not by a long shot.

                Out of the three, He had His eye on one in particular: the spiky-haired youth. While he had suffered a great deal in his life, he was destined to do the Planet a great service; a service that would be aided greatly by His blade--now known as the Ultima Weapon.

                All the youth known as Cloud Strife had to do was defeat Him.

                                                                ~*~*~*~

                As soon as the light had faded, Cloud and the others quickly ran to the window to look down at where the beast--whom they had since found to be called Ultima Weapon--had, well, crashed.

                "Holy shit!"

                Cloud was inclined to agree with Cid's oh-so-eloquent assessment of the large crater that now existed just east of Cosmo Canyon. Of the Weapon, there was no sign. Although...

                Cloud leaned closer to the window and squinted down at the center of the crater. ~Is that...~ His eyes widened until they were nearly the size of dinner plates as he realized what was in the center of the crater. Wasting no time, he spun around and headed for the deck, calling over his shoulder as he went, "Land us near the crater!"

                Everyone turned to look at where Cloud had disappeared up the stairs then at each other before following. Before he followed the others, Cid told the hesitant pilot to do as Cloud said and land them near the crater.

                                                                 * * *

                Cloud tossed the ladder over the side and was already halfway down when the Highwind started it's decent. By the time the Highwind had landed and the others had joined him, Cloud was in the process of thoroughly inspecting just what it was that had caught his attention.

                Tifa gasped when she caught sight of what was in Cloud's hands. "Cloud, isn't that the sword Ultima Weapon was using?"

                Cloud nodded absently as he ran a hand over the luminescent blade of the weapon. Even though it had seemed much bigger when the Weapon had been using it, now it only looked to be about as long as he was tall. 

                When Cloud had first put his hands on it, he had suddenly found himself filled with more power than he thought possible for a single living creature to possess. The sword hummed softly, such was it's power, and the blade itself glowed with a holy, white light that seemed to turn blue the further into the blade you went.

                Along with the power came images of a girl. She looked only a few years younger than himself and was wielding a similar white-blue sword with such skill that it almost boggled his mind. Something was strange about her though--something _other_ than her green-tinted blonde hair. She seemed to have as much--if not more--power than the sword alone did. This was explained a moment later with more images of the same girl transforming into a violent, pink-tinted creature that reminded him a lot of the Summons in the Summon Materia they had.

                Next had come images of three extremely powerful women who could only be described as goddesses and an even _more_ powerful, if that was even possible, man. Shortly after the image of the man came an image of a beast similar to the behemoths he'd read about in school as a child only it was gray and blue, not purple and red. Following *that* image was yet another of the creature, Ultima Weapon. 

                It was then that he noticed startling similarities between the two, power-wise anyway. That caused a frown to mar his features. While some monsters were similar, power level-wise, it was quite rare to find _this_ many similarities in two radically different creatures. Especially considering he couldn't remember seeing--or hearing about, for that matter--_that_ particular breed of behemoth before.

                ~Is it possible that the two are related? We don't know how long Ultima Weapon was trapped inside the Planet _or_ how long ago this other creature lived.~

                "What are you going to do with it," Tifa asked, a moment before comprehension dawned. "You're not seriously thinking about _using_ that thing, are you?!"

                "I also have reservations about using such a potentially dangerous weapon, Cloud." This came from Red XIII. The Cosmo Cougar was sitting on his haunches and eying the blade in Cloud's hands warily.

                Cloud finally looked away from the blade and over at his friends. ~Why are they objecting? Can't they see that this blade, this Ultima Weapon, wouldn't..._couldn't_ hurt me?~

                {They are frightened of it, Cloud. They saw what they took to be a monster wielding the sword you now hold. They are afraid of what could happen if a mortal, especially one they perceive to be mentally unstable, were to use its power.}

                Cloud looked around, startled by the voice. "Did you guys hear that?"

                Cid frowned slightly. "Hear what, Spike?"

                {They cannot hear me, Cloud; only you can hear me. My name is Atma and I am the owner of the blade in your hands.}

                Cloud looked back down at the sword, the Ultima Weapon, surprise coloring his features. This strange behavior, given what had recently happened to Cloud's mental state, caused his companions to exchange worried looks. 

                Cloud, however, was oblivious to his friends' concern over his own mental health as he replied aloud. "Why can't they hear you, Atma?"

                Cid looked up at Barret and made a 'he's crazy' gesture with his hand. Everyone else, save Yuffie, watched with increasing worry, even Vincent. Yuffie was too caught up in trying to remember where she'd heard the name 'Atma' before.

                {You are my Chosen, young Cloud. You might not realize it, but you are descended from a great and powerful warrior. The same warrior, in fact, as she who last held my blade.} Soon after, an image of the green-blonde haired woman appeared again, but this time she was on the arm of a blonde haired man. Both were dressed in the finest clothing Cloud had ever seen. By the crowns that graced both their heads, he assumed that they were royalty.

                This, as expected, surprised him. "I'm descended from royalty?"

                By this time, his friends were really starting to worry. Yes, Cloud had told them he occasionally heard voices but he'd never talked aloud to them before. At least not where they could here him. 

                Tifa slowly stepped towards Cloud, intent on trying to bring him back around from whatever was going on in his head. Worse came to worse, she could always knock him unconscious. "Cloud? Cloud, can you hear me?"

                Atma noted the concern of Cloud's friends but decided to answer His Chosen's question first. {Far removed, but, yes, you are. Yours is a line of both warriors and royalty, young Cloud. One that spans millennia.} Atma paused then a soft chuckle was heard. {But we can discuss these things another time. I do believe that your comrades are worried about you.}

                Cloud blinked and looked up from the sword in his hands to find Tifa only a foot or so away, looking at him worriedly. Behind her, the others were gathered with varying degrees of worry and wariness painted on their faces. 

                Tifa licked her lips and asked, "Cloud?"

                He smiled and sheathed the sword on his back. "I'm fine, Tifa; everyone." He looked past her to the others and nodded. "Lets go." And with that, he started back to the airship, leaving behind a very confused group of warriors.

                Barret looked puzzled as he watched Cloud walk to the airship then turned to the others. "Did...I miss somethin'?"

                Red sat on his haunches and tilted his head thoughtfully. "It would seem that Cloud has found a new sword." Behind him, his tail twitched. "Though I do wonder where I've seen it before."

                From near the back of the group, Yuffie gasped as she suddenly remembered where she'd heard the name 'Atma' before. "No way..."

                Cid frowned at Yuffie as he puffed on his cig. "What is it?"

                Yuffie looked up to watch as Cloud climbed up the last few rungs on the ladder and over the railing of the airship. "In Wutai, there's an old legend of a powerful sword that once belonged to Atma, King of the Gods. It's said that in times of great strife, the Sword of Atma will find it's way to a great warrior, whom with it will end the strife and bring peace to the land."

                Everyone stared at Yuffie in silence. This earned them a glare from the ninja. "You guys thought I didn't know anything, didn't ya?" 

                While everyone else stuttered and turned crimson, Vincent stepped up to Yuffie. "If that was indeed Atma's sword, then why did Ultima Weapon have it?"

                Yuffie looked up at the cloaked man and shrugged. "Who knows? The legends mention a beast testing the future user of the Sword so maybe that was it?" 

                Vincent shook his head, frowning thoughtfully. "That makes no sense. How would a Weapon come to be this beast and why would it hold the Sword?"

                Yuffie huffed and turned to go to the airship. "How am I supposed to know?! I just know what the legends say, nothing else."

                Cid puffed on his cig and shook his head. "Well, if that damned sword ain't gonna mess with Spike's head, then I guess there's nothing to worry about."

                Tifa bit her lip as the others headed for the airship. "I hope you're right, Cid..."

                                                                 * * *

                "One last fight, Cloud. You may have defeated my physical form with the help of your friends but can you defeat me on your own?"

                Cloud stared at Sephiroth with hard mako blue eyes. Soon after they'd defeated his 'Safer' form, Cloud had felt a pull from the Lifestream. Looking down, he'd found himself traveling through what he assumed was the Lifestream to where he was now: a dark chamber with Sephiroth, in his human form. His rival was only wearing his pants and, along with the Masamune, looked ready for a final fight.

                The blond dropped into a ready stance, Ultima Weapon held at ready. He could feel the blade thrum in anticipation of the fight to come. ~This is it, Atma. We beat him now, he's gone for good, right?~

                {Indeed.} Came the rumbling reply from the blade. Atma had been pleasantly surprised by how perceptive this Chosen was. The others had been wise in their own right but Cloud saw things not many others did. That is Terra's influence, no doubt. Having the blood of an Esper in you would undoubtedly give you higher levels of perception.

                "I can take anything you got, Sephiroth." He adjusted his grip on the blade in his hands. He felt a sudden rush of power from the Sword as he moved to strike his opponent. A red haze settled over his eyes as he used the power granted him by Atma to perform a dizzying array of slashes, jabs and strikes. After roughly twenty of these powerful hits, he jumped back to survey his work, breathing heavily.

                Before he had time to blink, Sephiroth found himself covered in a multitude of gashes, all bleeding profusely. He looked up at Cloud in shock as he felt his being disintegrate and become one with the Lifestream.

                Cloud watched the green light of the Lifestream as it surrounded him. Looking up, he saw a hand reaching towards him and reached for it...

                                                                * * *

                Atma sat back and watched as Cloud took Tifa's hand, a proud smile on his face. This one had done very well and now he would be able to claim his prize; his destiny in the form of a tough-loving martial artist.

                "What now, Atma?"

                The god half-turned to find Goddess walking up to him and the scrying pool. She glanced down at the scene playing out--how AVALANCHE was now trying to get out of the Crater before it completely collapsed on them--then looked up at her Lord.

                Atma smiled at her then returned his attention to the scrying pool. With a small wave of his hand a spell was cast to ensure that the Highwind and all those within her would come out safe. "We wait until the next time we are needed."

                A laugh akin to bells echoed throughout the chamber. "'We', my Lord? This is all Your doing. My sisters and I have had no part in any of this; as You well know."

                "Ah, but you did."

                Goddess looked at Him in askance. 

                He waved his hand again and the scene changed to show Aeris and Sephiroth in the Lifestream watching AVALANCHE. "You guided our young Cetra and her mate down their paths."

                Goddess watched the pair sadly. Indeed, it had been Her Voice which Aeris had heard when she communed with the Planet and, indeed, it had been Her hand that lead Sephiroth down the path he chose. She was not proud of that last, however it had to be done, though. If Sephiroth hadn't accepted that mission to Nibelheim and if she hadn't subsequently put his body in stasis, none of this would have come to pass. While some might see this as a good thing, it would ultimately prove the Planet's undoing.

                You see, the Planet and those who reside on it *need* conflict and destruction wrought by the Evils that occasionally came up. Those times of strife helped everyone grow and develop as a species and brought them one step closer to their final Purpose. Though what that was, not even She knew. Only Atma did and He refused to speak on the subject.

                Atma waved his hand again and the scene went back to AVALANCHE, who were now in Kalm with Reeve and Marlene celebrating and recovering from the ordeal they'd just been through. Cloud and Tifa were noticeably absent. "Good, he has finally taken my advice." At Goddess' questioning look, he explained. "I have been counseling him to confront her with his feelings for months now. He almost did it the night before they went into the Crater."

                She nodded; she was well aware of the love between the two Heroes. Part of her duties as one of the Goddesses was to watch over and nurture love wherever it was to be found. War was primarily Doom's area while death and the after life were Poltergeist's.

                "He will make her happy. She has loved him for many years."

                "I know." 

                Both god and goddess looked on as the people of the Planet celebrated. They had been through so much hardship; they deserved the peace they would have for the next few millennia.

                                                                * * *

                Cloud looked down at the mako well in Mideel. Atma had told him that was where He wanted His blade to be sent, now that it wasn't needed any longer. At first Cid thought he was crazy when he asked him if he could fly him down here. The most powerful sword since the Masamune and Cloud wanted to chuck it into the Lifestream.

                The blond chuckled inwardly at that thought. Cid really would have had a cow if he'd known that Atma had originally wanted Cloud to bring the Ultima Weapon to the alter in the middle of the Ancient City. Cloud had argued with the god for weeks over that one. He simply refused to go down there again. The memories were too painful; too fresh.

                So here he stood. Tifa waited for him several yards away. She hadn't understood anymore than Cid had but could see that this was something he had to do so gave her support. He was glad for that; he didn't know what he'd do without her.

                {Cloud, it is time.}

                Cloud nodded in acknowledgement then drew the sword from its sheath. He looked down at it one last time and felt a pulse from it; a farewell. ~Goodbye, Atma. Thank you for Your help.~

                {You are welcome Cloud, though it is I who should thank you. You helped to protect My Planet from harm when the Weapons could not. For this, you shall have a peaceful life for you and your companions.}

                Cloud bowed his head in thanks. It calmed his mind to know that there would be no worries for, at least, the rest of their lives. With a final look at the blade in his hands, he reached back and threw it with all his strength. The sword spun through the air in a lazy arc before falling into the center of the mako well with barely a ripple. The Lifestream seemed to pulse for a moment before calming down.

                That done, Cloud turned and walked back to Tifa. She looked up at him worriedly. "Are you all right?"

                He nodded with a smile. "Yes, now I am." He took her hand and lead her back to where Cid was waiting for them in the Highwind.

TBC

Whew! Wasn't sure I'd ever get this one done. Hope you liked it and that it wasn't TOO OOC. I had a little trouble with the rest of AVALANCE but Cloud and Cid. Yuffie an' Vince seemed to have come through well enough. Dunno about the others. *L* Loved writing Cid, though. He's funny as hell. Had trouble writin' th' Atma/Goddess scene because I seem to have gotten confused with the tenses I've been using. Ugh. Hope they make sense. Well, off to finish the next one. In that one, we see how Squall handles the added responsibility of wielding the god's sword and being His Chosen. *snorts* And he thought being Commander of Garden was bad. Ta.


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